Brake for railway-cars.



No. 674,824. Patented May 2|, I901."

W. W. ANNABLE.

BRAKE FO-R RAILWAY fiARS.

(Application filed Sept. 4, 1900.1

(No Model.)

2 SheQts- Sheet l.

Q/vif ngaoeo No. 674,824. Patented May 2|, I901. W. W. ANNABLE.

BRAKE FOR RAILWAY CARS. (Application filed Sept. 4, 1900.)

(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

wwentoz %Mmeoaao m 3 A g A \Nuum um i M Q. 9 MW yam/m UNTTEn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

l/VARREN W. ANNABLE, OE GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF 'IVVO- THIRDS TO G. STEWART JOHNSON AND J. \VARREN BRO\VN, OF SAME PLACE.

BRAKE FoR RAILWAY-CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 674,824, dated May 21, 1901.

Application filed September 4, 1900. Serial No. 28,921. ilo model.)

To rtZZ whom, it ntay concern;

Be it known that LIVARREN W. ANNABLE, a citizenof the United States, residing at Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Brakes for Railway-Oars; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in brakes for railway-cars, and more particularly in such brakes for street-cars; and its objects are to provide improved means for equalizing the pressure on the brake-shoes, to provide improved means for taking up the Wear, to prevent rattling and noise, to simplify the construction, and to provide the device with certain new and useful features hereinafter more fullydescribed, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

My invention consists, essentially, in the novel arrangement of brake-levers, connecting-rods, and equalizing-bars and in the novel means of supportingthe pivoted arms to which the brake-shoes are attached, together with other features, as will more fully appear by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of a street-car truck with my device attached; Fig. 2, a side elevation of the same; Fig. 3, an enlarged end elevation of the same with the end of the truck, frame removed; Fig. 4, a detail showingthe means of supporting and pivoting the brakearm, and Fig. 5 a detail of the ways for the equalizing-bars.

. Like letters refer to like parts in all of the figures.

A and A represent the frame of the truck, and B the wheels supporting the same.

0 represents hangers secured to the frame and extending upward an d thence horizontally inward and provided with upwardly-projecting flanges 0. Upon the flange 0 adjacent to the wheel is suspended the arm E by means of a suitable hook E, integral therewith and extending upward from the side of the arm adjacent to the wheel. The top of the arm E engages the under side of the upper part of the hanger when the brake is released and is held in contacttherewith by the spring S, having a tension-bolt T in its axis.

F represents the brake-shoes, attached to the arms E and adapted to contact the tread of the Wheels B. 'lo simultaneously and equally force the arms E toward the wheels and apply the brakes, levers G and H are pivoted at their outer ends to the respective opposite arms E and extend horizontally across the frame. Said levers are pivoted to each other midway between the arms, as at R. One of said levers (lette ed G) terminates at the pivot and the other lever (lettered H) is extended nearly across the frame, and to this extended end is attached the pull-rod Q,\vhich rod is provided with any suitable means for applying power to the same. Each of the described levers G and His fulcrumed near the outer end by being pivotally attached to connecting-rods I, Which rods extend horizontally to near the middle of the truck-frame, where they are pivotally attached to the respective ends of equalizing-bars J J, extending horizontally across the frame and having their respective ends laterally and freely movable in ways N, suspended upon the inner member A of the frame by hooks N. The pair of levers at each end of the truck are attached to their respective bar J, and these bars are pivotnlly connected to each other near the middle by means of a bolt. K, provided with suitable latches M M to detachably engage the bolt and nut and prevent them from turning.

L is a spring surrounding the bolt K to take the slack when the brakes are not set and keep the parts from rattling.

D is a tie bar connecting the opposite hangers O to support and strengthen the same. From this bauD depends a spring 0, which yieldingly supports the levers G and H and prevents their vertical vibration when the shoes engage the wheels. To hold the levers opposite the ones to which the power is applied when setting the brakes, a stop P is attached to the lever G and adapted to engage the extended end of the lever H and limit the backward movement of the same.

U is a spring to take the slack out of the connection between the shoe F and arm E, and thus prevent noise.

From the foregoing description the operation of my device will be readily understood. When the brakes are applied by applying suitable power to one of the pull-rods Q, the

equalizing-bars J J being freely movable in the ways and pivotally connected at the middle by the bolt K and pivotally connected at the ends to the respective brake-levers, the device will at once adjust and equalize the pressure upon the respective brake-shoes, it being impossible with the four brake-shoes connected with this system of levers, rods, and bars to apply unequal pressure to the said shoes. Furthermore, no special adjustment of each shoe or pair of shoes is required to compensate for unequal wear thereof. The device also automatically adjusts itself to any changes in the thickness or adjustmentof the respective brake-shoes. A new or thick shoe may be inserted and used with others worn down thin and no attention given to adjustment of the parts, the device automatically adjusting itself and equalizing the pressure on the various brake-shoes. In the event that the device should become slack from wear or otherwise the bolt K can be readily adjusted to bring the bars J J closer together, and the slack will be taken up wherever it may have occurred without further attention. When the brakes are released, the springs S seat the arms E firmly against the under side of the hangers, and thus hold the brakes out of contact. with the wheels, and when the brakes are applied the arms turn about the axis ofthe hooks E, slightly compressing the springs S and swinging the brake shoes squarely against the wheels. The springs S, U, 0, and L take up all slack motion in the parts and eifectually prevent rattling and noise.

Having thus fullydescribed myinvention,

what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of brakes, pivoted le- 1 vers operating the brakes, equalizing-bars.

pivotally connected to each other near the middle, and rods connecting the levers to the respective ends of the equalizing-bars, substantially as described.

2. The combination of brake-shoes, levers connected at their outer ends to the brakeshoes and pivoted to each other midway beother near the middle and pivoted connecting-rods extending from the respective ends of the equalizing-bars to the levers and means for applying power to the levers, substantially as described.

4:. The combination of four levers connected to brake-shoes at their outer ends and pivoted to each other in pairs midway between the shoes, two of said levers also extended beyond the pivot stops engaging said extensions, pull-rods attached to the extensions opposite the stops, eq ualizing-bars pivotally connected to each other near the middle, and connecting-rods extending from each end of the equalizing-bars to the corresponding lever, substantially as described. 5. In a brake mechanism for cars, the combination of a hanger having a horizontal portion provided with an upwardly-projecting rib, an arm engaging the under side of the hanger, a hook extending upward from the arm and engaging, the rib, and a spring to force the arm against the under side of the hanger, substantially as described.

6. In a brake mechanism for cars, hangers having horizontal portions provided with upwardly-projecting ribs, tie-bars connecting the hangers, arms engaging the under side of the hangers, and having hooks engaging the ribs, tension-bolts passing through the hangers and arms, springs on the bolts forcing the arms against the lower side of the hangers, pivoted levers attached to the arms,and means for applying power to the levers, substantially as described.

7. In combination with hangers, arms pivotally suspended from the hangers, brakeshoes attached-to the arms, levers pivoted to the arms and equalizing-bars connected to the levers,'springs to force the arms against the under side of the hanger, springs on the arms and engaging the shoes, springs supporting the levers, and a spring between the equalizing-bars, substantially as described.

8. The combination of hangers having horizontal port-ions and upwardly-projecting ribs, arms engaging the hangers and having hooks engaging the ribs, springs pressing the arms into engagement with the hangers, levers pivoted at their outer ends to the arms and pivoted to each other midway between the arms, equalizing-bars horizontally and independently movable at their ends and pivotally connected to each other at the middle, and rods connecting the respective ends of the bars with the respective levers, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WARREN W. ANNABLE.

Witnesses:

.PALMER A. JONES,

LUTHER V. MoULToN.

IIO 

